WILL WATER PRICE GO UP?
A1+
[04:25 pm] 18 April, 2006
The RA State Committee regulating public services got a claim for
water price increase by “Yerevan Water” LTD on April 6, 2006.
“Yerevan Water” offers to establish new water price; 172AMD per
1sq. water instead of the former 125AMD.
According to the preliminary data the Committee will view the issue
on April 28 and will approve of it according to the Consumers’
Association Chairman Armen Poghosyan.
45 CASES PRESENTED IN THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
A1+
[05:02 pm] 18 April, 2006
The issues of shadow curtail in construction and mining industry
spheres, the quarter results as well as false customs clearance combat
were today’s roundtable discussion theme during the work meeting of RA
President Robert Kocharyan and Tax State Service Chief Felix Tsolakyan.
According to the Tax State Service Chief the budget tax entries were
equal to 43, 2 milliard AMD which outnumbers the index of the previous
year data with 8milliard AMD. A high percent was registered in income
tax and profit tax. There was also a significant increase in social
payments. 15.3 milliard AMD was collected in the first quarter which
outnumbers the previous year data by 2.4 milliard AMD.
While speaking of the future plans the Tax State Service Chief
mentioned that the Service has marked out the list of the organizations
the taxes and deals of which do not comply with their activities,
and they will take measures on this score.
As for the false customs clearance combat Felix Tsolakyan stated that
45 cases were presented in the Prosecutor’s Office and an action was
brought against 19 of them.
There was also a mention about the property and income registration
procedure. Robert Kocharyan focused on the necessity of improving it
legally and utilizing mechanisms of responsibility.
RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER GRIGORI KARASIN TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 14:46
Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Grigori Karasin will arrive today
in Armenia.
“Novosti” information agency of Russia informs that Karasin will
arrive in Yerevan from Tbilisi.
In Yerevan he will participate in the regional consultation of Russian
Ambassadors to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Deputy
Foreign Minister will have meetings with the leadership of Armenia,
as well.
THE ADVOCATES DIDN’T APPEAR IN THE COURTROOM
A1+
[05:35 pm] 18 April, 2006
They Were On Strike
The trial of the defendants Razmik Sargsyan, Musa Serobyan and Arajik
Zajyan who are on hunger – strike for already 7 days was resumed
today in the Court of Appeal on Criminal and Martial issues. They
were hardly taken to the courtroom; they looked very weak and sick.
The trial was soon interrupted as the three advocates of the defendants
were not present in the courtroom.
The judge Mher Arghamanyan demanded the trial to be interrupted for
an hour so as they could find the reason of their absence.
While the participants of the trial waited for the trial resumption the
parents of the accused boys launched an appeal in front of the building
with the following posters, “The murders in the army are determined
by the fact that real murderers are not punished,” “Stop you illegal
steps, Court Martial Prosecutor” etc. They cried with loudspeakers,
“There are illegal cases in the army. Two innocent boys were killed
in the army and now our innocent sons are accused of their murder
instead of the real guilty ones.”
The courtroom was again full after the break but the advocates were
not present. The judge informed the people present that they phoned
the Advocates’ Union and spoke to the Chairman Ruben Sahakyan about
the current situation in the courtroom. The latter answered that the
two advocates were in the courtroom.
Mher Arghamanyan asked one of the court workers to ask them in but the
latter returned and said, “They refuse to work in such conditions. They
won’t return unless their mediations are taken into account.” “I
have never countered such a scene when the advocates gather in front
of the court and launch an appeal. The court is powerless; I cannot
make them come here. Even the Union Chairman cannot do it,” claimed
the judge. The representative of the accuser Anahit Eghazaryan said,
“I am astonished that they speak with an ultimatum with the court. This
is a way of exerting pressure. I have been working in this sphere
for 22 years and have never seen such a thing.”
The trial was resumed without the advocates.
PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF FIGHTING SHADOW ECONOMY
ArmRadio.am
18.04.2006 17:45
Midterm results, the reduction of shadow economy in the spheres
of mining and construction were discussed today during the working
meeting of President Robert Kocharyan and Head of the State Tax Agency
Felix Tsolakyan.
According to the data provided by Head of the State Tax Agency,
the tax revenues in the state budget comprised 43.2 billion drams,
which is 8 billion more than last year.
The interlocutors stressed the importance of the fact that the
percentage of the income tax and profit tax is high in the total
volume of taxes.
Rise has been registered also in social payments. In the first term
15.3 billion drams have been collected, which is 2.4 billion drams
more than the results of the last year.
The collocutors turned to the process of registration of property and
revenues. Robert Kocharyan stressed the importance of the necessity
of its legal improvement and execution of certain mechanisms.
The President gave instructions regarding the issues discussed. He
underlined that he expects consistent work from the Tax Agency in
the direction of resolving the problems suggested.
MARY-ANNE ISLER BEGUIN: ONCE ARMENIA WILL BECOME A FULL MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN FAMILY
ArmRadio.am
18.04.2006 18:14
“I am confident that once Armenia will become a full member of the
European family,” said Mary-Anne Isler Beguin, President of the
EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission.
During the 8th sitting of the Commission in Yerevan she assured she
is aware of the problems Armenia faces today and expressed readiness
to assist our country to resolve these.
“No doubt, the Karabakh issue is of urgent importance, and we, the
European Parliament, follow the situation and we are confident that
peace talks are the only way for resolution of the conflict,” President
of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission declared.
“We do not think that Ramboulliet was a failure,” Mary-Anne Isler
Beguin stated, turning to the Karabakh issue.
INTRODUCTION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN CAN TOUCH UPON SOME SPHERES OF ARMENIAN-IRANIAN COOPERATION, EXPERT CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. It is not excluded
that possible sanctions against Iran can have a negative impact on the
development of Armenian-Iranian cooperation. Sevak Sarukhanian, expert
on Iran of the Noravank scientific-educational fund, declared this
answering Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, what impact possible
introduction of economic sanctions against Iran can have on Armenia. As
he estimated, today the world is not ready to refuse supplies of the
Iranian oil. Therefore, possible sanctions against Iran will rather
touch upon other spheres than the oil one, which can have a negative
impact on some sides of Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation and,
in particular, trade between the two countries. According to the
expert, the beginning of discussion of the issue on introduction
of sanctions against Iran by the European Union is an integral part
of the political pressure exerted by the world on Iran today. Seven
Sarukhanian did not exclude that today for EU it is not beneficial to
introduce any sanctions against Iran as in difference to U.S., today
Europe directly depends on supplies of the Iranian oil. In addition,
in his opinion, the sanctions can do harm the dialogue that started
between IRI and EU on the issue of perspective supplies of the Iranian
gas to Europe. The expert considers that for the present, introduction
of sanctions against Iran by U.S. and a group of countries at one
with U.S. is more realistic. Some members of EU can also appear among
them. However, EU as an orga nization will hardly introduce sanctions
against IRI, especially forestalling the UN Security Council.
HAYRIKIAN CONGRATULATES SAHAKASHVILI “IN CONNECTION WITH LIBERATING GEORGIAN PEOPLE FROM LAST STRONGHOLDS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM”
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. “I congratulate you and in your person
the whole Georgian people in connection with liberating the Georgian
people from the last stronghold of the Russian imperialism and making
Georgia a base of deserved and human way of life in the region,”
the address of Chairman of the National Self-Determination Union
Paruyr Hayrikian to Georgian President Mikhail Shahakashvili read
this. According to Hayrikian, Russia has appeared in the Caucasian
region as a conqueror and as this country is not democratic it cannot
be interested in another purpose. “The withdrawal of the Russian troops
from Georgia and especially the exposure of the agent, in essence, spy
net, is a historical achievement equal to declaration of independence
in Georgia. It is no doubt the representatives of this agent net
that at the bidding of the Russian secret services sometimes play
the role of provokers hampering the Armenian-Georgian relations,”
the letter read. Hayrikian gives assurance that these attempts will
fail with the efforts of the Georgian people and very soon Georgians
in Armenia and Armenians in Georgia will feel themselves at home.
“I shake hands with you as fulfilling the dreams of my
companions-in-arms Merab Kostava, Gia Chanturia and others who
struggled for the sake of Georgia’s independence, you pave the way for
liberation and prosperity of not only Georgia but also the region,”
Paruyr Hayrikian’s letter read.
FILMS WITH PARTICIPATION OF CHARLES CHAPLIN SHOWN ON HIS BIRTHDAY AT NATIONAL GALLERY
Noyan Tapan
Apr 17 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN. On the birthday of legend of
world movie Charles Spenser Chaplin, April 16, 5 films with his
participation, shot in 1918-1922, were shown at the cinema hall of
the Armenian National Gallery. As Melik Karapetian, employee of the
educational department of the Armenian National Gallery, said in his
interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent, it is already the 4th year
showing of films dedicated to Chaplin’s birthday is organized in
Yerevan. In the first two years it was held at Yerevan children’s
library after Khnko Aper under the title “Chaplin Marathon” but
already last year a regional festival of mute movie was organized
for the first time at the National Gallery, during which mute movies
created in the regional countries were shown.
RA AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA AND PRIMATE OF VIRAHAYOTS DIOCESE VISIT JAVAKHK
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 17 2006
AKHALKALAK, APRIL 17, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Hrach Silvanian,
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the RA to Georgia
and Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanian, the primate of the Virahayots Diocese
of the Armenian Apostolic Church started their two-days vitis to
Samtskhe-Javakhk on early April 15. According to the “A-Info” agency,
the first meeting of the Ambassador and His Holiness took place
in Akhaltskha where in the Saint Gregory the Illuminator church,
first, the Surb Easter Liturgy was celebrated, then a meeting with
representatives of Armenian public organizations of Akhaltskha
took place.
The Ambassador mentioned at the meeting that the visit is of
introducing character. The Ambassador of Armenia had a meeting with
Tamaz Petriashvili, the Mayor of Akhaltskha as well. After midday,
the delegation arrived from Tbilisi left for Ninotsminda and Akhalkalak
where similar meetings took place in the evening and the next day.